Capnography Waveform Quiz
Read the EtCO₂ capnogram and name the pattern — ten tracings per round.
Capnogram 1 of 10
Written by Apex Respiratory Editorial Team
About this quiz
Each round draws ten fresh capnograms — the CO₂-vs-time trace over four breaths. Read three things: the height of the boxes (the end-tidal value: tall means hypoventilation, short means hyperventilation or a fall in pulmonary blood flow), the shape of the plateau (a sloping “shark-fin” is obstruction; a notch is a spontaneous curare breath), and the baseline (a raised baseline is rebreathing; a flat line is an esophageal or absent tube). Across the strip, a sudden drop to zero is a disconnect or arrest, while an abrupt sustained rise is the first sign of ROSC.
Educational use only. Capnograms are idealized teaching tracings with a single tell each; real capnography shows overlapping findings, artifact, and mixed physiology. EtCO₂ reflects ventilation AND perfusion — always correlate the waveform with the patient and the rest of the monitored data. This material supports respiratory therapy education and exam review. It is not medical advice and is not a substitute for clinical judgment, institutional protocols, or physician orders. Always follow facility policies and current provider orders, and verify calculations independently before clinical use.
Sources
- American Association for Respiratory Care. AARC clinical practice guideline: capnography/capnometry during mechanical ventilation 2011. Respir Care. 2011;56(4):503-509.
- Kacmarek RM, Stoller JK, Heuer AJ. Egan's Fundamentals of Respiratory Care. 12th ed. Elsevier; 2021.